The Never Ending Hatching thread! For those of us that hatch all year long!

[Runawaylobster]

Removing the plugs lowers humidity. At lockdown you want it higher. I run mine with one hole plugged and no water added during incubation. The humidity in mine stays around 40 percent. I use a hatcher for lockdown. I did use the LG once to hatch and it worked fine.
I just lit a cig

and held it above the hole that is over the fan and it drew the smoke in and then I put by the other hole and air was coming out of the one. It probably doesn't make any difference either way. If there is a LOT of air blowing out, and you think it making it hard to regulate temps and humidity then partially close the holes. I lay a quarter halfway over the hole to reduce airflow sometimes.

Based on your cig , i'm going to flip the fan and test it out.. it will only take a few minutes to do..

thanks so much for taking the time to advise

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

well nothing hatched so far. I tossed out one egg down to 2 eggs. I think only one of those will hatch. After tossing out one egg that had beads of water on it (sweating) I candled them. My white one has slight movements in it and looks as if it's close to or has internally pipped. Hope that means i'll have a chick tonight.

 

[ozexpat]

Based on your cig , i'm going to flip the fan and test it out.. it will only take a few minutes to do..

thanks so much for taking the time to advise

First thing I do is toss the plugs. I do a dry hatch then up the humidity for lock down.

Plugging the holes may be an easier way to control the environment but chicks pip to get fresh air. Once they rest and breath for a while, they zip and get out. You really want the maximum oxygen content in your bator.




I fill this plastic container up past half way and it lasts through the whole lock down. I then have a tubing I pass into the tray and fill them once or twice as needed. Once the eggs star opening, The humidity does not need assisting unless you have a really staggered hatch.

The best way to control temp is to make sure the room temp is stable. The hovabator seems to be a little thicker than the LG and Farm Innovators but all are quite thin really. A change in temp of the room will stress the thermostat. A rapid increase in humidity such as at lockdown will effect the performance of the cheap thermostats in these bators so keep an eye on the temp and adjust accordingly.

I am moving to an ebay version of the STC-1000 http://www.ebay.com/itm/16080942436...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 for my FI Iand LG bators as I find the adjustment not fine enough on the little knob. I leave the current thermostat in place but crank it up to max heat. Then plug the bator into the outlet I put on the Chinese thermostat - it is very accurate and acts as a digital thermometer as well - for less than 14 bucks delivered, its a bargain.

 

[Runawaylobster]

I am moving to an ebay version of the STC-1000 http://www.ebay.com/itm/16080942436...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 for my FI Iand LG bators as I find the adjustment not fine enough on the little knob. I leave the current thermostat in place but crank it up to max heat. Then plug the bator into the outlet I put on the Chinese thermostat - it is very accurate and acts as a digital thermometer as well - for less than 14 bucks delivered, its a bargain.

AC is set at 75, I flipped the fan, not sure if it's improved I had it getting a range from 99.0 to 99.9 cycling but now i just looked over and it popped up to 102, probably because i have the temp probe taped to an egg right in the middle and the turner is on. I measured a 5 degree difference between the middle and the corners earlier, i'm hoping it was an error and i will have to re-do it to check.

This is really novel and it seems like rocket science to me LOL, I like it. I guess the temp sensor is some type of thermocouple? the pics on ebay don't show the connections for power input and output but I understand the principle. The only thing that is not so awesome is that it has a temp measurement error of 0.5 centigrade. I think i might get one

thanks! Well i have to put the eggs in soon or i will ruin them.. I think tomorrow morning would be a good time....

 

[ozexpat]

The only thing that is not so awesome is that it has a temp measurement error of 0.5 centigrade. I think i might get one

I have 4 of them. I set all 4 temp probes in the same bator. They were all with 0.1C of each other. I placed a glass of water in the bator for 2 hours. I then used a digital medical thermometer and measured the water temp. It was right in the middle.

I always recommend calibrating any device.

As far was wiring goes -

The use here is home brewey - the device also has a cooling program as well as heating. I simply dont use the cooling portion.

Its also available in 12v 110v and 220v

 

[Runawaylobster]

I have 4 of them. I set all 4 temp probes in the same bator. They were all with 0.1C of each other. I placed a glass of water in the bator for 2 hours. I then used a digital medical thermometer and measured the water temp. It was right in the middle.

I always recommend calibrating any device.

As far was wiring goes -

The use here is home brewey - the device also has a cooling program as well as heating. I simply dont use the cooling portion.

Its also available in 12v 110v and 220v

Dang!!!! i'm sold.. i think i can handle that with that nice video to show me Who would have thought that raising chickens requires all this stuff LOL!!!

thanks very much !!!!

 

[ozexpat]

Dang!!!! i'm sold.. i think i can handle that with that nice video to show me Who would have thought that raising chickens requires all this stuff LOL!!!

thanks very much !!!!

if only i got commission....................

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

failed to hatch It got right up to the point of hatching but never internally pipped. I gently opened the egg so not to hurt it and saw the chick was already dead. No movement at all. It looks like it was simply to big to move around enough to hatch.

 

[Little Wing]

failed to hatch It got right up to the point of hatching but never internally pipped. I gently opened the egg so not to hurt it and saw the chick was already dead. No movement at all. It looks like it was simply to big to move around enough to hatch.

Awww. Sorry they didn't hatch. You'll have better luck next time! Sometimes they just weren't meant to be.

 

[Runawaylobster]

Based on your cig , i'm going to flip the fan and test it out.. it will only take a few minutes to do..

thanks so much for taking the time to advise

I think there is an improvement after I flipped the fan.. i made a baffle just by covering the hardware cloth i had put over it with that metal tape for taping ducts.. works great.

thanks for testing!!